A seven-year-old girl was allegedly murdered by her stepfather in the Kumbalagodu area on the outskirts of Bengaluru. The accused, identified as Darshan (29), reportedly strangled the child, Siri, to death following a heated quarrel with his wife, police said.
According to police, the girl’s mother had married Darshan after the death of her first husband. However, frequent fights between the couple had created a tense environment at home. On Friday, during one such altercation, Darshan allegedly lost control, vented his anger on the child and strangled her before fleeing the scene.
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Police officers said that Darshan and his wife had been arguing over personal issues for the past few days.
“The accused had been working in a private firm as a clerk for the last 10 years,’’ Kumbalagodu police inspector Manjunath Hugar said.
“The wife, Shashikala (28), working in a private firm, had married him just four months ago. On Friday, Darshan did not go to work, stayed at home with his 7-year-old stepdaughter, Siri. He allegedly strangulated her as he did not like her. Shashikala’s first husband died in 2023. After the crime, the accused fled from the scene. The incident came to light when the mother returned at around 6 PM. We booked Darshan under BNS Section 103 (murder) and launched a manhunt,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}“The wife, Shashikala (28), working in a private firm, had married him just four months ago. On Friday, Darshan did not go to work, stayed at home with his 7-year-old stepdaughter, Siri. He allegedly strangulated her as he did not like her. Shashikala’s first husband died in 2023. After the crime, the accused fled from the scene. The incident came to light when the mother returned at around 6 PM. We booked Darshan under BNS Section 103 (murder) and launched a manhunt,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Kumbalagodu police rushed to the spot upon receiving information and conducted a preliminary inspection. The body was sent for post-mortem examination to determine the exact cause of death.
“The accused is absconding and a search operation has been launched to trace him,” a senior police officer said. Police have registered a case of murder and started further investigation.